WHEN Finance Minister Penny Wong is in the garden with her daughter Alexandra, the BlackBerry has to go.

Senator Wong is fiercely protective of her family's privacy, but spoke to The Advertiser yesterday in her first detailed interview about life as a mother.

She was glowing about the changes Alex - who is almost 15 months - has wrought in her world but declared there's still more to be done for women and work/life balance.

Senator Wong said she "compartmentalises" work and family life.

"I get no sleep but it's not as bad for me as for (partner) Sophie (Allouache), so I can't complain," she said, adding that since Alex had started walking, life had been much busier.

"I try to be very disciplined about making time for her because there'll come a time when she doesn't want to spend time with me, so I don't want to regret that I said `no, I have to look at my BlackBerry'.

"She gets so much joy out of going for a walk or going for a swim or (being) in the garden looking at the plants and that makes you really enjoy the moment - and that's one of the joyful things about a child.

"I think what children make you do is be in the present and enjoy the little things."

In a rare public outing with her mums, Alex yesterday brought the attendance at the Adelaide International Women's Day breakfast to 2427 - and a half.

She was conceived using IVF with sperm from a donor known to the couple, and was born at the Women's and Children's Hospital at the end of 2011.

Yesterday, she sat in a high chair at the top table for the 20th UN Women's IWD Breakfast.

Senator Wong said Ms Allouache was a "centred and grounded person" who handles the pressure of their busy lives "very well". But she said there was more to be done in general on work/life balance, particularly in Parliament.

"As a community, we've got a long way to go and Parliament is one of the occupations (that) least enables you to integrate work and family and that's a challenge for men and women," she said.

Federal parliamentarians can spend 100 nights a year away from home and work very long hours. Earlier this year former health minister Nicola Roxon - the first senior female Cabinet minister with a very young child - announced she would resign to spend more time with her family.

Senator Wong is optimistic that things are getting better, and said that having Alex was a spur to keep improving.

"I always think that the future is bright and I think that we'll continue to make progress," she said. "I think that my generation and (those) younger than me that I know that have kids, have a very different role to people of my parents' generation and more men want to spend time with their family.

"Having a daughter, on a more personal level, it makes you aware of the importance of working hard for the next generation."

Marking International Women's Day Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced new ways to tackle slavery and people smuggling. She said Australia needed to say "no" to slavery, to "treating women like objects or chattel". "This is not a life we want for any woman or any girl," she said.

"Not here. Not overseas. Not anywhere. Not ever."

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott said the day celebrated "how far we've come as a nation".

"Now we need to do more. That's why I am so passionate about a fair dinkum paid parental leave policy which will happen in the first term of an incoming Coalition government," he said.

In her speech at the breakfast, Senator Wong paid tribute to "Sheroes" community heroes, spoke about the oppression of women all around the world and the importance of standing up against violence.

"And, for me, it is a wonderful and frankly a very moving thing to be at an event where I have my mother and my aunts and also our daughter Alexandra," she said.

"It is a wonderful reminder of the importance of women across generations sharing their experiences and learning from each other."

A NOTE ABOUT RELEVANT ADVERTISING: We collect information about the content (including ads) you use across this site and use it to make both advertising and content more relevant to you on our network and other sites.